After graduating from Virginia Tech in 2005 with bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Human Services, Jo had the untimely realization that her true calling was actually working with non-human patients. She began her veterinary career at a general practice animal hospital where she was an assistant for 5 years where she developed her veterinary foundation. In an effort to expand her skill set, she then moved on to work at a specialty dog/cat veterinary hospital in the emergency department for 10 years. There, she thrived on the challenge and chaos of emergency medicine and took on many leadership roles including training and mentoring. In 2018, Jo married her reptile-enthusiast partner and added 30 lizards, snakes, turtles, and frogs to her family. This sudden family explosion spurred Jo’s interest in the veterinary aspect of exotic animal care and she joined SEAVS in the fall of 2020. Jo thoroughly enjoys the unique challenges of exotic animal medicine and is thrilled to be a part of the SEAVS family! In addition to the menagerie of reptiles/amphibians, Jo shares her Arlington home with her partner, three dogs, a special needs hamster, and a sorority tank of female betta fish. In her spare time, Jo enjoys gardening, climbing trees, playing in the snow, and pretending to be good at crafty DIY projects.
